


and somehow, suddenly, you've taken over my heart

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Awkwardness, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Travel, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28353201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Was it a coincidence that Kamui's caravan happened to pass by, or something else? Why was he so eager to believe Kamui was flirting with him back then? And since when did he get so handsome? Leon's plans for a visit home come with a side order of feelings he may have had longer than he believes.
Relationships: Kamui/Leo | Leon
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14
Collections: fandomtrees





	and somehow, suddenly, you've taken over my heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Measured](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/gifts).



Even though he knew beyond the shadow of the doubt that Valbar would return his romantic feelings, Leon still couldn't help thinking he was the most wonderful person in creation. Not many people would take over their friend's shop for the holidays so said friend could go home to his village and see his family. _And during his first holiday with his new family, too._

Of course he'd asked a dozen times if he was sure they were okay with it, only for Valbar's wife to playfully tell him to knock it off or they'd change their minds. So Leon packed his bags and planned to hitch a ride with a merchant wagon he'd heard was headed for his village.

_Planned_ being the operative word. Within a week the caravan driver twisted his ankle, a horse got sick, and some of their merchandise got damaged and had to be repaired. Walking the distance was out of the question due to his own injury; while his leg had healed well he still walked with a bit of a hobble and he'd been instructed not to put too much stress on it.

So he'd prepared to write home and tell them that, to his disappointment, he couldn't make it. Only for another caravan to conveniently show up before he could put pen to paper, and someone he hadn't thought about in ages offered him a ride.

(Okay, maybe he'd thought about him once. Okay, twice...fine, a few times a week, tops. And maybe he'd kept that person's letters...and written back. More than once.)

Kamui. Of all people, it had to be Kamui. Not that Leon _disliked_ the man, but their interactions during the war had been...awkward, to say the least. Sometime after they parted ways he'd realized that maybe Kamui _hadn't_ been so brazenly hitting on him, and that _maybe_ it was rude of him to spend their limited conversation time singing Valbar's praises when all Kamui was trying to do was be friends.

Leon wasn't above feeling remorse for accidentally being cruel to someone, but he'd planned to apologize in a letter he was still planning out, because it took time to properly apologize to someone whose feelings you might have hurt. He hadn't planned on sharing a caravan with Kamui, who had the _gall_ to be glad to see him again.

Well, fine. Maybe Leon was happy to see him again, too. And it _was_ nice to have someone familiar to travel with.

"You're looking well," he ventured. Kamui glanced over to him with a smirk.

"You hitting on me or something?" Leon's brow furrowed and he fought back the urge to cringe.

"You'll never let me live that down, will you?"

"Maybe." Kamui shrugged. "Seriously, though, you look like life's been treating you well, too. How's the shop?"

"Busy," Leon said. "Granted, half of that's from the holidays, but I hardly have time to sit around and buff my nails on most days...which, I must admit, is kind of nice." His nails were looking fine today, but most days he was lucky if he remembered to trim them. "I recently received a letter from a merchant overseas. Remember that creepy tower we went to on Akaneia?" Kamui shuddered.

"Someone actually took up shop in that place and started selling death masks?" Leon pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh. While the very idea was so absurd it was comical, he hadn't forgotten Kamui could be skittish when it came to monsters and ghosts.

" _No,_ a young lady to the south of that place wants me to sell her handmade accessories," he said. "It'd be a lot of work, having her ship them and making room on my shelves, but I'm going to get back to her after the holidays to accept that offer."

"Good," Kamui said. "Good for you. I'm glad you've found something to keep you busy since you got hurt." Leon cast a glance down at his leg, his smile becoming more tragic.

"At least I don't need to walk with a stick. That wouldn't be a very good look for someone as young and pretty as me." Kamui frowned, opening his mouth as if to say something, then shutting it. He seemed to think for at least two whole minutes before finally answering.

"Not if you polished up the wood and put a flower crown on the top," he said, and this time Leon couldn't help but laugh. He'd never pictured Kamui as one for having such a sense of humor, unless he simply hadn't paid enough attention to it in the past. _Because you were too busy fawning over Valbar,_ his memory scolded him. Ugh, _that_ chestnut again. He didn't enjoy feeling guilty, and it was more awkward than ever with Kamui sitting right next to him.

"That might not be such a bad idea, should it ever come to that."

They sat in silence for the next several miles, watching the scenery go slowly by. The driver stopped to feed the horses, and Leon thought of the cookies he'd baked for the village still in his pack. _Should I have made extra? No, Kamui hates most sweets, and I didn't skimp on the sugar in these. I wish I'd thought to bring some meats or cheeses...or even an extra loaf of bread._

"Hey." Kamui nudged his side. "I uh, brought some sandwiches if you want one." Leon blinked, cheeks reddening. _Okay, that was creepy, how did you manage to read my mind?_ He'd packed enough for two people, had he been expecting someone else or was he just anticipating being extra hungry? Or on the road for the whole day?

"You don't mind?" For a split second, he could swear he saw Kamui blush.

"I uh, thought maybe I'd share with the driver, but he turned me down, said he doesn't like accepting handouts. Here, dig in," he muttered. Thankfully, there were several meatless options, and Leon helped himself to a small cheese sandwich with greens and tomato. _How did he get tomatoes this time of year?_ The desert was warm, but not the best place for growing things.

It was more than just good. Granted, sandwiches didn't require any cooking, but there was something that made this one...well, _delicious._ Not simply "better than war provisions", either. And when Leon chanced a glance over at Kamui, his smile looked almost _relieved._

"Thank you," Leon says once he swallows and wipes his mouth. "For sharing, that is."

"Well...you know, not like I'm gonna eat all of these myself," Kamui muttered.

Silence resumed. The driver finished tending to the horses, Leon and Kamui finished eating, and the ride continued. It was only another mile or so till they arrived in the village, and Leon let his thoughts wander.

Or at least he tried to. Oh, he had plenty of things to think about (Valbar, the shop, his family, his hair, memories of Lady Celica waiting at every port to pet the cats during the war), but they all led back to Kamui (how if it wasn't for Valbar they'd never have met, the one time Kamui stopped by the shop to browse, _will he stop in to say hello to my family before he moves on? Does he smell the vanilla cream rinse I used this morning? Does he like cats?_ ).

It was rather frustrating. Mainly because such thoughts weren't exactly unwelcome; while he was more than fine with moving on from his love for Valbar after his friend married, he wasn't required to move on to Kamui simply because he was there and because Leon had mistaken Kamui's attempts at conversation for hitting on him.

_Maybe I was just trying to flatter myself. Maybe I was hoping if he was, Valbar would come to the rescue, jealous and possessive as he realized his undying love for me._

Or maybe, somewhere deep down, it was Leon who'd felt a single spark of attraction towards Kamui. Nothing major at the time, of course, but enough to make him panic and doubt his loyalty to Valbar. So he had to blame Kamui, make it sound like Kamui was making advances so he didn't have to feel guilty.

Maybe. Did it even matter in the end? Valbar was married, Leon was happy for him, and he was sitting in a cozy caravan with Kamui. Who'd shared not only his ride, but his food with him. Who looked relieved when Leon liked his sandwiches.

Kamui, who somehow looked more handsome than Leon thought anyone could look right now.

Valbar had that rugged slightly older man charm to him, a big burly guy with arms that could immediately make you feel safer than if you were living in the shelter of the late goddess Mila herself. But Kamui...okay, he'd definitely gained some muscle over the past few years, but still had that youthful exuberence to him. That kind but slightly cocky gaze, that air of _I pretend I only care about money but I'd give up a thousand gold pieces to save your life._

He still remembered the list he gave Kamui back then, how every trait that made the perfect man in his eyes just so happened to match Valbar. Right now, though, he saw the same list in his mind with a few of those things either crossed out or added to, along with notes in the margins.

Without realizing it, he'd moved closer to Kamui, their hands almost touching. Their gazes locked, Kamui's cheeks turned pink, and Leon's heart skipped a beat.

"Kamui," he ventured, "was this caravan _really_ just passing through, like you said earlier? You have to arrange for these things in advance, and I've never known you to be picky about how you travel." Kamui made a small, startled noise, looking like a deer in a hunter's path.

"Well..."

"Well?"

He watched the lump of Kamui's throat bob as he swallowed, his fingers flex, his shoulders go rigid and then relax a bit.

"I wanted to come see you for the holiday," he finally said. "I didn't know if you had plans or anything, I guess I thought I'd surprise you, and thinking back I probably should've sent a letter or something first. But, well...I just wanted a chance to see you. Sometimes letters aren't enough, you know."

Leon moved his hand closer, feeling a flutter in his chest.

"And the sandwiches?"

"I thought I'd surprise you with some food, since I know you work long hours at the shop and all," Kamui murmured. "Look, Leon, back then when I said I wasn't hitting on you I thought I meant it, but...you know, sometimes you don't realize something until it's later and you've _really_ had time to think about it, y'know?"

"I think I do." Leon swallowed.

Their hands met, and a moment later, so did their mouths. This was far from Leon's first kiss, but if he added past kisses plus the thousand fantasies he'd had about Valbar it still wouldn't add up to the warmth of Kamui's lips and the overdue but welcome realization that came with this moment.

"Do you have any backup plans?" he asked once they broke for air. Kamui smiled, almost adorably, lacing their fingers together.

"Nope."

"Good. My family is very kind about surprise visitors, and my old room has plenty of space for a guest," Leon said. Kamui grinned.

"Couldn't think of a better way to spend the holiday."


End file.
